Recently, synthetic memes using artificial intelligence (AI) such as Trapralaleo Tralalala and Bombardiro Crocodilo have been trending, primarily on social media platforms.
Italian Brainrot is not just a simple cultural consumption phenomenon; it is also connected to the cryptocurrency known as 'meme coin', raising concerns about volatility requiring investors' caution.
◇Chill guy introduces the trend of 'Italian Brainrot'
According to the content industry on the 29th, 'Italian Brainrot' refers to animal characters created using AI, accompanied by an awkward Italian narration resembling mechanical sounds. This bizarre combination evokes a feeling of decay in the brain, leading to the nickname 'Italian Brainrot'.
'Italian Brainrot' has been trending among the MZ generation since March of this year. The top TikTok content featuring 'Italian Brainrot' has garnered a maximum view count of 20 million, and a culture of selecting favorite characters among various options is spreading. Some YouTubers have produced videos reviewing the characters.
Lee Hyunmo, 25, said, “At first, I started watching it out of curiosity to catch up with the recent meme trend, but at some point, encountering a fighting worldview and content from YouTubers led me to enjoy it naturally.” He added, “My favorite is the shark character Trapralaleo Tralalala.”
The enthusiasm for memes among the MZ generation is not something new. In 2024, the 'Chill Guy' meme was popular on the internet. Chill Guy is a character resembling a dog dressed in jeans and a sweater, wearing canvas sneakers, characterized by having his hands in his pockets and a subtle smile in any situation. Various contents were created with the theme of living 'chill' like Chill Guy in a tough world.
◇Meme, expanding beyond content to speculation…'meme coin' issuance
Memes are expanding beyond simple content to become subjects of speculation. When memes trend on social media, 'meme coins' bearing related names are issued. These meme coins quickly gain attention based on the popularity of the respective memes, resulting in skyrocketing prices, and investors capitalize on these price increases for quick profits.
The point at which meme coins began to attract attention was in 2022, when Dogecoin surged. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, repeatedly posted supportive messages about Dogecoin, leading to a rapid increase in the coin's popularity, and it began to be recognized as an investment target among some investors chasing volatility.
'Chill Guy', which trended in 2024, was also made into a meme coin. According to Korea Market Cap, Chill Guy saw a 40% surge within 12 days of issuance, surpassing a market capitalization of $600 million (approximately 860 billion won) as of Nov. 27.
A meme coin utilizing the 'Italian Brainrot' characters has also been issued and is showing a surge. According to the coin platform Phantom, a meme coin issued under the name 'Trapralaleo Tralalala', one of the Italian Brainrot characters, surged 17,000% as of the 24th.
◇Meme coins approach 'speculation'…Experts warn of high volatility and risk of losses
The problem is that 'meme coins' repeatedly fluctuate without any special goals or technological capabilities, relying solely on popular characters. The scale of distribution is also small, and due to high price volatility, investors are at risk of losses.
Researcher Lim Minho from Shinyoung Securities stated, “Meme coins are similar to thematic stocks,” adding, “It is difficult to logically explain the reasons for asset price increases.”
He continued, “Since it is a market where many investors looking for stocks that rise according to trends or themes enter, those who invest based on logic should avoid entering.”